Key esports sponsorships and partnerships: June 2022

key sponsorships dotted line june
Esports Insider’s monthly partnerships roundp. Image credit: ESI

Each month, Esports Insider runs through the biggest esports sponsorship and partnership news. Below is our list of the biggest stories from June 2022.

This month, data, collegiate and peripheral partnerships emerged as key themes, supplemented by an increasingly rare cryptocurrency partnership, and big moves in the Middle East.

Interested in the narratives behind the news? Subscribe to The Dotted Line newsletter for a no-nonsense, bi-monthly analysis of the most important partnership stories — and the trends that lie behind them. Here’s a direct link to the last edition.

Spotlighted story:

Inzone
Image credit: INZONE / Sony

North American fighting game tournament Evolution Championship Series (Evo) has announced a partnership with INZONE, Sony’s brand new gaming gear brand. The partnership will see INZONE become a premier partner for Evo in 2022 and 2023. INZONE will act as the official monitor and headset of Evo.

As part of its global launch announcement, INZONE additionally annonced a multi-year partnership with Riot’s VALORANT Champions Tour, which will see the brand become the VCT’s official headset partner.

EG HP
(ESI Illustration) Image credit: Evil Geniuses / Hewlett Packard Enterprise

North American esports organisation EvilGeniuses has partnered with the enterprise arm of hardware brand HewlettPackard, HP Enterprise (HPE).

The multi-year partnership will allow EG to use HPE’s cloud computing infrastructure, granting the organisation better understanding of its data, the companies said.

Esports and gaming career website Hitmarker has secured a partnership with National Student Esports (NSE), a governing body for student esports in the United Kingdom.

Hitmarker and NSE will help students find ‘suitable entry points into the industry’. This includes Hitmarker employees sharing experiences, creating a dedicated space on NSE’s Discord and collaborating on events.

Image credit: MIBR

Immortals Gaming Club-owned Brazilian esports organisation MIBR has closed a partnership with blockchain company Socios.com to launch an official Fan Token.

MIBR joins organisations like Team VitalityTeam AllianceOGNatus Vincere, and Team Heretics as esports partners of Socios.com. It is also the first Brazilian team to be tokenised by the platform.

BLAST and DI
Image credit: BLAST, DI

Global esports tournament organiser BLAST Premier has partnered with clothing and sportswear brand Nike for a merchandise project.

The two companies will launch a co-branded collection of merchandise that will showcase “gaming lifestyle” during August 2022. The collection will include a t-shirt, cap, hoodie and jersey, according to BLAST.

Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto, Japan.

Multinational esports organisation Gen.G has announced an extension of its partnership with McDonald’s franchisees.

The partnership will see the fast food brand’s franchise employee-only esports competition, Crew League, renewed in Southern California, the Southern Plains and DMV regions, with an expansion into the Pacific Northwest.

Global Esports Federation GEF_House
Image credit: Global Esports Federation / Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies

The Global Esports Federation (GEF) has announced a partnership with educational institution Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies.

The partnership will see teams competing in the Commonwealth Esports Championships (CEC) train and take part in qualifying tournaments at Confetti’s Nottingham campus from August 1st-5th.

ournament organiser BLASTPremier has announced that this year’s edition of the BLAST Premier World Final will take place in AbuDhabi, United Arab Emirates.

This is the first time BLAST’s CS:GO tournament finals will be held in UAE. The event, held in front of a live audience, will occur between December 14th-18th at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

big game energy
Image credit: Spacestation Gaming.

North American esports organisation Spacestation Gaming has partnered with fitness supplement company Bucked Up to launch its own energy drink brand called Big Game Energy.

Following another partnership with retail company Walmart, Big Game Energy will be distributed across its stores and online in the US.

NIP Razer
Image credit: Ninjas in Pyjamas

Swedish esports organisation Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) has expanded its partnership with multinational gaming lifestyle brand Razer.

The two-year deal will see the NIP teams using Razer’s Enki gaming chairs across all ongoing operations. The organisation currently fields teams in CS:GO, VALORANT, FIFA, and Rainbow Six: Siege.

Jake Nordland
Jake has worked at Esports Insider as a journalist and editor since early 2021. Now ESI's Media Manager, he continues to act as lead editor of print magazine The Esports Journal, and contributes his words to the website from time to time.